Phonographic apparatus



March 12, 1940.

E. C. GUEDON PHONOGRAPHIC APPARATUS Filed Jan. 51, 1938 ZSmaentor ErnileC. Guedon/ (Ittorneg Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PHONOGRAPHICAPPARATUS Emile C. Guedon, Audubon, N. J., assignorto Radio Corporationof America, a corporation of Delaware Application January a1, 1932,Serial No. 187,935

4 (llaims.

This invention relates to phonographic apparatus, and more particularlyto a combined pickup locating and needle-gauging device.

For uniform results in the reproduction of 5 sound from phonographrecords by means of a pick-up device having a needle socket and areproducing needle carried therein, it is desirable that each needleshould extend from the needle socket the same distance. The primaryobject 10 of my present invention is to provide a needlegauging devicewhich will insure each new needle extending from the needle socket inthis man.- ner.

More specifically, it is an object of my present 16 invention to providean improved device of this type which will accurately locate the pick-updevice With respect to the needle gauge so that each needle will begauged correctly automatically upon the pick-up device being properlylocated.

U Another object of my invention is to provide an improved device asaforesaid which will permit the facile ejection of used needles.

It is also an object of my present invention to provide an improveddevice of the type set forth ll which is simple in construction,economic in cost,

and highly efficient in use In accordance with my present invention, Iplace a used needle receptacle on the motor board of the phonograph andprovide a movable .0 cover therefor at a suitable height thereover. Thereceptacle is also provided with means for locating the pick-up devicein proper relation to the movable cover which is adapted to act as agauge for each new needle. This invention 35 is particularly suitablefor pick-ups of the top loading type wherein the new needles areinserted through an opening in the top of the pickup, such as describedin my copending applica tion Serial No. 177,293, filed November 30,1937.

9 By merely placing the pick-up device on the aforesaid locating meansand permitting a needle to slip into the socket through an opening inthe top of the pick-up, the needle will, upon hitting the cover, beautomatically and properly gauged in the needle socket, whereupon theneedle holding screw may be tightened. After sufficient use, and priorto inserting a new needle, the pick-up is again placed on the aforesaidlocating means, the needle screw is loosened, and in the cover is swungaway from the needle to permit the used needle to drop into thereceptacle. A suitable spring automatically returns the cover to gaugingposition when the cover is released, and a new needle may then beinserted and locked I in place.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention areset forth with particularity in the appended claims. The inventionitself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation,together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best beunderstood from the following description of one embodiment thereof,when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1is a view showing the relation of a pick-up device with the locating andgauging device according to my invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the combined pickup locating andneedle-gauging device turned 180 from the position shown in Fig. 1,

Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof as seen from the right in Fig. 2,and

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line IV-IV of'Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout, there is shown amotor board I having a discharge opening 3 into which is fitted myimproved pick-up locating and needle-gauging device. This comprises aframe 5 from which depends a needle receptacle '1 adapted to receiveused needles. The receptacle l is provided with a plurality ofextensions 9 having aligned openings through which a pin l 1 extends, awasher l3 holding the pin ll against removal from the extensions 9.

Pivotally mounted on the pin II by means of its downwardly extendingarms i is a gauge plate H which acts as a cover for the receptacle 1,the cover I! being constantly urged to the closed position shown in Fig.1 by means of a coil spring 19 and having a finger piece 21 by means ofwhich it may be grasped and moved manually to open position in thedirection of the arrow appended to Fig. 1, or from the'solid lineposition to the dotted line position of Fig. 4.

Extending upwardly from the frame member 5 are a pair of posts 23 and 25for locating a pickup device 21 with respect to the cover or gauge 11.The posts 23 and 25 extend above the receptacle 1 a distance greaterthan the height of the cover I! above the receptacle when in closedposition, and the post 23 may be notched, as at 29, to receive one edgeof the frame of the pick-up 21 so that the pick-up will not move aboutwhen once located with respect to the gauge 11. The post 25 may beemployed merely to help support the pick-up 21 in the desired position.

When the pick-up 21 is placed on the locating posts 23 and 25,'a needle3| may be inserted through an opening 33. in the top of the pick-up toslide freely down into the socket 35, the needle coming to rest when ithits the cover or gauge II. This automatically determines the extent towhich the needle 3| will protrude from the socket 35, and the needlescrew 31 may then be tightened to hold the needle 3| in place. After theneedle 3| has ,been used as much as necessary, the pick-up 21 is placedupon the locating posts 23 and 25, the needle screw 31 is loosened, and

' the cover I1 is manually moved to the dotted line position of Fig. 4by pushing the finger piece 2| downwardly andswinging the cover II inthe direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1. This permits the used needleto slip down into the receptacle I. Upon releasing the cover II, thespring I!) forces it back to closed position, whereby a new needle maybe inserted through the opening 33 and the procedure described abovefollowed again. When needles having a lacquered shank are employed, theysometimes stick in the needle socket 35. The cover I! is so mounted onthe pin II that, when the finger piece 2| is depressed, the oppositeedge of the cover I! is first slightly raised to effect a camming actionupon the used needle and force it upwardly in the socket 35 a slightdistance. This loosens the needle sufficiently to permit it to dropfreely into the receptacle 'I when'the cover ll has cleared it.

Although I have shown and described but one embodiment of my invention,it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many othermodliflcation thereof are possible. For example, if desired, thereceptacle 1 may be omitted and the gauge plate I! pivoted on the motorboard I at the walls defining the discharge opening 3, so that, when theplate I! is moved in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1, the needlemay drop directly through theopening 3. Other changes will, no doubt,readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. I thereforedesire that my invention shall not be limited except insofar as is madenecessary by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1.'In a phonograph of the type employing a pickup device having a needlesocket and a reproducing needle carried in said socket, the combinationtherewith of a member having an opening therein, a gauge plate pivotallymounted on said member over said opening and movable t9 and from gaugingposition over said opening, and a pickup supporting device for locatingsaid pickup relative to said gauge plate, said supporting device beingdisposed adjacent said plate and extending thereabove whereby, when saidpickup is placed on said supporting device and said gauge plate is ingauging position, said gauge plate will auge the needle in said socket.

2. In a phonograph of the type employing a pickup device having a needlesocket anda reproducing needle carried in said socket, the combinationtherewith of a member having an opening therein, a gauge plate pivotallymounted on said member over said opening and movable to and from gaugingposition over said opening, a pickup supporting device for locating saidpickup relative to said gauge plate, said supporting device beingdisposed adJacent said plate and extending thereabove whereby, when saidpickup is placed on said supporting device and said gauge plate is ingauging position, said gauge plate will gauge the needle in said socket,and means associated with said gauge plate constant- 1y urging saidgauge plate to needle gauging position over said opening.

3. In a phonograph of the type employing a pickup device having aneedle. socket and a reproducing needle carried in said socket, thecombination therewith of a member having an opening therein, agaugeplate pivotally mounted on said member over said opening and movable toand from gauging position over said opening, a

V pickup supporting device for locating said pickup relative to saidgauge plate, said supporting device being disposed adjacent said plateand extending thereabove whereby, when said pickup is placed on saidsupporting device and said gauge plateis in gauging position, said gaugeplate will gauge the needle in said socket, means associated with saidgauge plate constantly urging said gauge plate to needle gaugingposition over said opening, and a finger piece on said gauge plateadapted to be manually grasped to move said plate clear of the needlewhereby to enable said needle to drop through said opening.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3 characterized in that said gaugeplate is so formed as to first eifect a camming action upon the needleprior to clearing the needle to permit it to drop through said opening.

- EMILE C. GUEDON.

